Are vehicle "black boxes" a good idea?

Most new cars have a data recorder (known as a 'black box' or EDR's) that captures a variety of information, including vehicle speed and seat belt usage, before and after a crash. A new rule proposed by federal safety officials would make this technology mandatory in 2014.

Supporters say that requiring recorders in all new cars will provide critical information to law enforcement, vehicle manufactures and others in order to help save lives.

Opponents argue that the technology violates motorists' right to privacy. It adds to the cost of a vehicle, and the gathered information violate your civil rights. Consider the possibility that police and insurers, among others, are interested in how people drive and could make determinations about liability and/or insurance rates based on the data gathered by the 'black boxes'.

Answers (public voting - your screen name will appear in the results):

Other, since it depends a lot on how they end up getting implemented. The idea is reasonably safe, since having more data makes it a bit easier to determine who was at fault. If it starts getting used for other things, that gets a bit more hazy without opt-out options

I'm opposed. This is just asking for abuse. Let's see some clearly-defined limits on what data can be obtained, by whom, and for what purpose - and then we'll talk. Without those limits, I'll hold off on buying a car with this technology, even if it means driving an older car for a few more years.